Blessed of the Arrow
by Calliope Faye
Summary: Strange things have been happening in L.A. since the arrival of a new rock band called "Sniper." And it's up to the Daughters to solve the puzzle before the Followers do...
1. Prologue

((Disclaimer: I do not own Daughters of the Moon or any of the characters in it. . .But you all know that because this is a fanfiction site, so without further ado. . .))  
  
Psyche was the most beautiful woman in the world. Some called her the second Aphrodite. This angered the original Aphrodite. As she grew jealous, she ordered her son, Cupid, to hit Psyche with one of his magical arrows and make her fall in love with the cruelest, most ruthless man he could find.  
  
Cupid set out to complete the task, but as soon as he set eyes upon her, he pricked himself with one of his arrows and fell profoundly in love with her. He brought Psyche to a palace where she would live in all the splendor of a goddess, but he would visit her only at night, and instructed her never to try to look upon him, lest they would be separated forever. Of course, his reason for such behavior was the fear that if she were to recognize him for who and what he was, she would adore him as a god, rather than love him as an equal.  
  
One day, Cupid allowed Psyche's sisters to visit her, and they became envious of the luxurious life she had, and how much her husband-whom they were not permitted to meet-loved her. They decided to spoil her happiness by telling her that an oracle had informed them that her husband would not allow himself to be seen because he was truly a loathsome monster and planned to kill her after she bore his first child.  
  
That night, Psyche clutched a knife in one trembling hand and a lantern in the other as Cupid slept beside her. She moved closer and raised the knife to cut off his head, but when the lantern light fell upon his beautiful face, she was too awed to strike, and she pricked herself on an arrow from his quiver.  
  
Cupid awoke and saw his wife standing over him, wide-eyed with a knife in her hand. He was filled with sorrow as he said to her, "My love, were you afraid that I was a hideous monster? There can be no love where there is no trust. I will never come to you again." And thus he left her there, crushed and heartbroken as he.  
  
Psyche, in search of her beloved Cupid, sought council from the gods, but only Demeter, the goddess of grain, was willing to help. Demeter recommended that she go before Aphrodite and beg her forgiveness. Her son was in her palace, mourning for his lost love, and the great goddess tired of caring for him. Psyche should beg her to reunite her with Cupid.  
  
Aphrodite was furious to see Psyche and ordered her handmaidens, Trouble and Sorrow, to assault the girl. When the horrible attack was over, Aphrodite saw Psyche to a storehouse filled with many types of grains, and bid her sort each one by evening, thus proving that she was a worthy bride for her son. When the goddess was gone, Psyche fell to her knees and wept.  
  
Then something extraordinary took place; an army of ants came and sorted the grain for her. Aphrodite flew into a rage when she had seen that someone had come to Psyche's aid, and demanded another task of Psyche. This time, she was to gather some fleece of the fierce rams of golden wool.  
  
She began to lose heart as she saw how ferocious they were, but the wind whispered to her through the reeds. It told her to wait until high noon when the rams slept, and then slip into the meadow and quietly gather the wool off of the briars.  
  
Then Aphrodite assigned her a third task: to fill a crystal goblet with icy mountain water from the mouth of the Stygian River. Psyche cried when she saw how hopelessly steep and slippery the rocks were near the mouth of the river, but just then, an eagle flew overhead, took the cup, and filled it for her.  
  
Then Aphrodite set upon Psyche the most perilous task of all: To travel to Tartarus with a jeweled box and ask queen Persephone for a small portion of her beauty. Psyche began to despair, knowing that this was one task that she had no hope of completing, and climbed to the top of a tall tower. And just as she was about to throw herself off, the tower spoke to her.  
  
It told her to take two gold coins and two pieces of barley cake, and when a lame donkey driver beseeched her for help, she must not refuse him. "Give Charon, the ferryman, a coin, and he will take you across the River Styx. As you cross the river, the groping hand of a dying man will reach out to you, but you much turn away. You must also refuse to help three women weaving the threads of fate. When you come to Cerberus, the three- headed dog who guards the palace doors, give him a barley cake, and he will be friendly to you. Do all of this again on your way out. But most importantly, when you carry the box of beauty from Persephone to Aphrodite, do not open it-Whatever you do, DO NOT open the beauty box!"  
  
Psyche did as she was instructed to do, but on the returning trip, when she drew close to Aphrodite's palace, curiosity overtook her. She opened the box, and found not beauty inside, but a deadly sleep, which fell upon her and she collapsed on the side of the road.  
  
Cupid, meanwhile, flew over the earth in search of Psyche and saw her lying on the roadside. He flew down to her and hurriedly gathered the sleep from her body, sealing it once more within the box, and waking his beloved Psyche with a kiss.  
  
Together they flew to Zeus, who married them and bestowed upon Psyche the gift of immortality. All of Mount Olympus (with the exception of Aphrodite) rejoiced for their union. Within a year, Psyche gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Bliss, who became the first of many bearers of Cupid's gift: the first of the "Blessed of the Arrow." 


	2. The First Premonition

Planet Bang. Teen Night. Everyone who was anyone at La Brea High had been anxiously anticipating it. The line to get in was much longer than usual, and somewhere in the middle of the chaos was a group of five girls, all dressed to kill, as usual. Their names were Catty Turner, Vanessa Cleveland, Jimena Castillo, Serena Killingsworth, and Tianna Moore.  
  
"What's with this line?" asked Tianna with annoyance.  
  
"Didn't you hear?" Catty responded with a question. "Sniper's playing here tonight."  
  
"Sniper?! Are you SERIOUS?!" Serena cried excitedly, "Awesome! You'd think they'd have a bigger show somewhere else though."  
  
Vanessa looked confused though. "Who's Sniper?"  
  
Serena stared at her. "Have you been living under a rock or something for the last week? They're this really great new rock group. They just arrived in L.A. and they've already made it big. I can't believe they're playing at Planet Bang!"  
  
"Yeah," said Tianna, "If you haven't heard them before, you're in for such a treat!"  
  
"Jimena, you've been awfully quiet. Is something. . .oh. . ." Catty stopped when she saw Jimena's face. She was staring straight ahead, her eyes wide and dilated. It was nothing new. She always looked like that when she had a premonition.  
  
Their matching moon amulets glowed as a warning that there were Followers nearby. They glanced around and spotted Cameo, Dolores, and Ambrose farther ahead of them in line. There was nothing unusual about Followers coming to Planet Bang. In fact, it would surprise the girls if they ever went to Planet Bang and there were none. They wondered where the other three of Ambrose's group was. They were sure that there were at least six of them.  
  
The girls looked down at their matching moon amulets. They had received them when they were born-except for Tianna-as both protection and a symbol of their power. Serena, Vanessa, Catty, and Tianna all thought back in that moment to when they first met Maggie, their advisor and guardian. She had led each of them to her, one-by-one, by appearing to them in their dreams and calling to them. First Serena and Jimena, then Vanessa, then Catty, and finally Tianna. To each in turn, she had spoken the words that would change her life forever:  
  
"Tu es dea, filia lunae." "You are a goddess, a daughter of the moon."  
  
She told them the story behind their destiny. In ancient times, when Pandora's Box had been opened, the last thing to leave it was hope. Selene, the goddess of the moon, was the only being to witness the creature sent by the Atrox to devour hope. She took pity on the people of Earth, and gave her daughters, like guardian angels, to protect hope.  
  
These five girls were those daughters, and each possessed a special gift. Vanessa could become invisible. Catty could travel back in time. Serena could read minds. Tianna could move things simply by thinking about them, and Jimena, of course, had premonitions, much like the one she was having right then.  
  
They all stared at Jimena, waiting for her eyes to clear of her trance. When they finally did, she shook her head and looked confused. "Woah. . . Weird. . ." she said.  
  
"Was it bad?" asked Serena concernedly.  
  
"Not bad," Jimena shook her head, "Just weird."  
  
Then it was their turn to go in. 


	3. Meet Sniper

After the security guard had checked their purses, the girls stepped inside. Vanessa looked around as the lights flashed and rotated in time with the music. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the stage, where she saw six teenagers of ages ranging from fourteen to nineteen from the looks of it.  
  
There were two lead singers: a guy with one ear pierced and wavy brown hair, and a girl wearing a light-blue dress covered in sequins that came down to her knees, and huge gold hoop earrings. Her short, blond hair whipped about her face as he spun her into his muscular arms.  
  
On either side of them were a girl with a slightly round face and a fluffy, multi-colored barrette pulling her shoulder-length dirty-blond hair off of her face, and a boy with short, light brown hair dressed in khakis and a blue tee-shirt. His cheeks puffed out as he played his saxophone like no one Vanessa had ever heard before. The girl wore an orange halter top and black slacks with tiny silver beads that seemed to play games with the lights. Her hand moved so quickly over the strings that it was near impossible to see.  
  
On the far right was a girl on the drum set with long, reddish-brown hair streaked with a different color, but all of the flashing lights made it hard to tell what color it was. She wore a blue tank top covered with beads and ribbons. She seemed oblivious to all around her except for the driving beat of her own drums. The sticks in her hands seemed to move of their own volition. It seemed so effortless that Vanessa thought that if she let go, the sticks would continue to fly by themselves.  
  
The boy on the far left was on the keyboard. He leaned forward on the accented notes to further articulate the pulsing beat. He had scruffy brown hair, strewn disobediently every which-way. He was awkwardly tall and as skinny as a twig. He had to bend down to reach the keys. But clumsy as he appeared, his keyboarding talent was incomparable!  
  
"Aren't they great?" Catty whispered, noticing how Vanessa was staring.  
  
She turned to Catty, casting one last glance at the stage before shrugging her shoulders and responding, "They're okay. They're not that good, though."  
  
Catty laughed. "Yeah right! You're just saying that because they're competition for Michael's band."  
  
"I am not!" she cried indignantly.  
  
Just then, her boyfriend, Michael Saratoga, came up behind her and spun her around. "Michael. . ."  
  
"Hey Vanessa," he said, brushing a few strands of yellow hair off of her forehead. His own curly, black bangs fell over his forehead. He jerked his head toward the stage to indicate Sniper. "Amazing, aren't they?" he asked with a smile.  
  
Vanessa smiled brightly and answered "Yeah! They're incredible!" Catty, Jimena, Tianna, and Serena looked at each other and rolled their eyes as Michael took Vanessa's hand.  
  
"What makes them even better is that they give me a chance to get off the stage and onto the dance floor. . .with you."  
  
Vanessa blushed as the song came to an end and the two lead singers each took a step up to the microphone. The guy shouted into it and the sound reverberated through the room. "GOOOOOOOOOOOD EVENIN' L.A!!!" The crowd cheered as he chuckled and continued. "I always wanted to do that. So I hope y'all are havin' a good time tonight! ARE Y'ALL HAVIN' A GOOD TIME?" The whoops and applause came like a roar of thunder when it's directly overhead.  
  
Then the blonde girl took over. "Well for any of you who don't know who we are, we're gonna introduce ourselves! This guy right here who's entirely insane but mostly harmless is JAAAAAKE ATKINS!!!"  
  
Then Jake shouted over the wild applause. "And this beauty by my side goes by the name of NATALIEEEEE HIRSCHA!!!"  
  
"Tearin' it up on the saxophone is LERATO PARSONS!!! We found him on the side of the road and decided to take him with us!!!" He improvised a few bars of solo, and then nodded to Jake to continue the introductions.  
  
"Over there, dominating the drums is my adorable kid sister with the sticks that do tricks, FAAAAAITH ATIKINS!!!" She waved one of her sticks in the air and played about 10 seconds of drum solo, then pointed her sticks at Natalie so she could introduce the next band member.  
  
"This lovely lady thrashing on the guitar is my long lost sister, raised by wolves. . .AIMEEEEE HIRSCHA!!!" Aimee struck a few dissonant chords on her electric guitar and howled into her microphone.  
  
And once again, Jake took the microphone back from Natalie and indicated the lanky guy on the keyboard. "And over here on the keyboard is my big brother, KEVIN ATKINS!" Then he lowered his voice to a stage whisper. "Don't worry. He plays better than he looks."  
  
Once the applause died down, he continued. "But put us all together, and we're. . ."  
  
All six of them shouted together, "SNIPER!!!" They all moved their arms as though they were aiming invisible bows and arrows, and they all exhaled together in a short puff to create the sound effect of the arrow being released. "Hoo!"  
  
"Oh shoot! I missed the target!" Jake shouted over the crowd. Suddenly there was silence. No one laughed.  
  
Then Natalie playfully shoved him aside and spoke into the mike. "But you didn't come here to listen to Jake's corny jokes, did you? You guys all came here to DANCE!!!" Once again, the crowd roared.  
  
"What to you think?" Jake asked, "Should we give them what they want?" Everyone whooped and screamed as Lerato heralded the next song with a trill on his saxophone. 


	4. Liberation

After an hour and a half of great music and not-so-great jokes from Jake, Jimena noticed that the music seemed to have a strange effect on the people in the audience, herself and other Daughters included. She'd seen the same effect with their CDs, but now at Planet Bang, with the huge crowd of kids, and the band actually there playing live, it seemed to double.  
  
She kept a close eye on Ambrose, Cameo, and Dolores. Even THEY were getting more into the music than usual in their own dark, sinister way.  
  
Serena's brother, Collin, with whom Jimena was dancing, also seemed very caught up in the song. "You know," he said to her, "This is generally not my style of music, but this guys are unbelievably good!"  
  
"You don't usually date cholas either." She tilted her head and smiled at him flirtatiously. The lyrics, along with the chords and melodies, seemed to have some sort of element to them. . .some quality. . .something that made them seem almost spellbinding, and the talent of the musicians only added to it. Her feelings for him seemed to grow inside her as though the music were feeding them. She wrapped her arms around his neck, singing her hips back and forth to the beat and pulling him closer.  
  
He grinned and placed his hands on her hips. "True," he answered her comment. "I guess there are exceptions to every rule." Collin was a surfer. He practically ate, slept, and lived on his board. Jimena, on the other hand, was a former gangster, but while she was no longer an official member of "Ninth Street," she still maintained her reputation. People still feared her, and she feared little to nothing. That was the only thing she had in common with Collin: No fear.  
  
"Hey," Collin said, glancing around, "Did you notice that not one single person has stopped dancing all night?"  
  
"What?" She glanced around. She hadn't noticed. She'd been concentrating on the Followers she'd seen in her premonition. It was true. Everyone was dancing. She turned back to Collin and shook her head. "Woah. . .too weird!" she whispered.  
  
The song ended with one last resonating chord, and then Jake and Natalie stepped forward once again.  
  
"I don't know about you, but I think it's about time we slowed things down a bit. What do you think, Natalie?"  
  
"Oh please, God no! You don't need to get any slower than you already are!" Some people laughed, and Jake made a face and took the mike back.  
  
"Hilarious, Nat, but you know that's not what I meant. I see a lot of couples out there. Let's play something for them! Kevin, if you please. . ."  
  
Kevin softly vamped the introduction to a slow, romantic tune, and Jake turned to face Natalie in a smooth transition to match the mood of the music. The lights played across their faces, giving them a surreal, in-the- movies sort of look.  
  
"Natalie, he said, extending a hand out to her in a sort of gentlemanly fashion, "May I have the honor of this dance?"  
  
"Let me think," Natalie teased, looking around her as if considering all of her other options. Then she turned back to Jake with a smile. "Sure."  
  
He beamed and wrapped his arms around her, and they swayed to the sensual rhythms along with all of the dancers as they sang together.  
  
"When you hold me close  
  
So I can hear the beating of your heart,  
  
It fills me with such joy  
  
To know we'll never be apart.  
  
I have a hope I'll hold forever,  
  
Far beyond my dying day,  
  
A hope that we will be together,  
  
'Cause we were meant to be that way."  
  
Jimena's eyes widened as she looked at Dolores and Cameo over Collin's shoulder. Their eyes glowed phosphorescent yellow, as they should only do in the light of the full moon. They clutched their temples and staggered as though some unseen force were causing them great pain.  
  
She looked around anxiously. Serena had disappeared again, probably to dance with Stanton, who was more than just a powerful Follower. He was the Prince of Darkness in the Inner Circle of the Atrox, and Serena had "fallen in love" with him, much to Jimena's displeasure. Couldn't she see how dangerous he was? But Jimena didn't have time to waste getting frustrated over this again. She looked to Catty and Tianna, and then to Vanessa. All three of them were staring with wide eyes and jaws hanging in horror and confusion. What was happening?  
  
The only other who seemed to notice was Ambrose, who seemed surprised and confused, but not the least bit worried about his pupils. Jimena hated that. It made her shiver. She couldn't imagine being a Follower, if only for their obsessions with themselves and their indifference toward others. How did they ever get by without someone to care about? Ambrose, like Stanton, was an immortal, and Jimena knew that immortality was not given out to just any Follower who asked for it, and she shuddered to think about all the evil deeds they would've had to do to attain it.  
  
She excused herself from Collin and moved to where Catty and Tianna were standing. Soon they were joined by Vanessa, and eventually Serena as well. None of them seemed to know what to do, so Jimena prepared for battle, suspecting that it was some sort of trick. She could feel the power building up inside of her. It came in a swell of energy from her chest to her fingertips, and she could sense the others following her lead. Ambrose caught her eyes and gave her a dangerous smirk.  
  
Goddesses, he said in their minds, but that was all he managed to get out. Suddenly, the song ended, and Dolores and Cameo rose to their feet looking a bit dazed, at first, and their eyes no longer glowed. Then they shoved Ambrose to the ground, breaking his concentration, and as the next song began, he found himself unable to get up from beneath the dancers' feet.  
  
The Daughters of the Moon could not believe what they had just seen. They wore astonished expressions as Dolores and Cameo walked up to them, shaking their heads.  
  
"We're not sure what you did, Goddesses," Dolores whispered, "But thank you." Cameo nodded and the two of them hurried out of Planet Bang.  
  
The girls exchanged bewildered looks. "They're free. . ." said Vanessa.  
  
"Did we free them?" Serena was confused.  
  
Catty shook her head. "I don't think so. Do you know what happened, Jimena?"  
  
Jimena sighed. "All I know is that the premonition I had outside just came true." 


	5. A Lot Can Be Told

The Daughters of the Moon waited on line for autographs for virtually an eternity. They somehow ended up at the end of the line, but managed to convince themselves that it was better that way, because they'd be able to talk to them.  
  
By the time it was finally their turn, Catty could barely contain her excitement. She would actually get to meet Sniper! She was partially expecting them to be tired and irritable by the time they got to the front of the line, but she couldn't be more wrong.  
  
Lerato grinned as they approached. "Hey guys, check it out! It's those girls who were tearin' up the dance floor! We were wondering when we'd be seeing you!"  
  
"Hi!" Aimee greeted them, "You guys are really talented!" She took Catty's autograph book as the rest of the girls handed theirs to other band members.  
  
"Hey, look who's talking!" said Serena.  
  
"Thanks. So what are your names? We'd like to know who to write these out to."  
  
Once they had all introduced themselves, Catty turned to Faith, who was signing her book. "Hey, thanks!" she said as she took it back with all six signatures. "You know, you guys have got to be the most awesome teen band in all of L.A.!"  
  
Faith turned bright red and then brought her hand up, touching her chin, and extending it out and down with her palm up. The motion was smooth and practiced, and caught the Daughters by surprise.  
  
Jake laughed at their astonished expressions and said to them, "She says 'thanks.'" He turned back to his sister and watched her make another elaborate series of equally graceful gestures.  
  
After a moment, Kevin looked at them and smiled. "She wants to know where you two learned to dance like that."  
  
Each of the five of them looked at each other and shrugged. "Each other, I guess," said Serena.  
  
"C'mon, Faith!" Aimee shoved her playfully. "You should know that you can't learn to dance. You just dance!"  
  
Faith shot her a glare and once again responded in sign language. Jake, Kevin, and Aimee laughed.  
  
"What'd she say?" asked Natalie with one eyebrow raised.  
  
"You don't want to know," Kevin replied.  
  
"She can't talk?" Vanessa tilted her head and looked quizzically at Faith.  
  
"What was your first clue?" Lerato said with a great deal of sarcasm. "I really have to learn sign language. For all I know, she could be dissing me behind my back. . .Right in front of my face!" Faith signed something to her brothers in small, subtle signals as though she were whispering, and they all three laughed. Well actually, since Faith had no voice, her laugh was more a silent, spirited twinkle in her bright, violet eyes. Lerato glared at them, but Faith simply smiled innocently and casually ran her fingers through her long, purple-streaked hair.  
  
Natalie turned to face Catty, letting the others argue. "So you girls are really great friends, huh?" Catty nodded. "It shows. Quite an odd assortment of you, though. You're all so different!"  
  
Catty raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?" Natalie was right, but how could she have known that?  
  
"Natalie laughed at Catty's bewildered expression. "Music," she explained, "Is like any other art form in that it's all about expressing yourself. Part of the magic of it is that when you dance, you're yourself. There's no cares, no worries, no other people. . .So a lot can be told about people by the way they dance. I could tell you five were great friends because of how well you dance together. It's almost as though. . ." She put a dramatic tone in her voice as she said, "destiny drew you together, and your souls are entwined with each other."  
  
Catty blinked in bewilderment. "Whoa. . .That's deep!"  
  
She pulled Catty aside and grinned. "That's nothing. Check this out! We're gonna play a little guessing game." She pointed at Vanessa. "She's the kind of person who who's nice to everyone no matter what. . .even if she doesn't like them. She's mature and responsible, but knows how to get down with her bad self once in a blue moon, right?"  
  
Catty couldn't hold back a laugh. "Yeah, that's Vanessa down to a tee!"  
  
Then Natalie indicated Jimena. "Miss Thang over there is a tough cookie. She likes to think she's tough as nails, but deep down, she's got a soft side in there somewhere. She's very sure of herself, and VERY protective of her territory."  
  
Then she turned to Tianna. "She's a jock. Enough said."  
  
Then Serena. "She's the artistic type. She's very sensitive, creative, and individual. She's true to herself, and won't let herself be swayed by the majority."  
  
"Whoa. . .You're good!" exclaimed Catty. "What about me?"  
  
"You? You're a rebel. You do what you want and nobody can stop you. You hate rules and love nothing more than a good laugh."  
  
"You're REALLY good!"  
  
"Thanks! So what school do you girls go to?"  
  
"La Brea High."  
  
"All of you?"  
  
"Yeah"  
  
"Awesome!" cried Natalie with excitement. "I guess we'll see you there! We start school on Monday."  
  
Catty's jaw dropped. "Are you SERIOUS?!"  
  
* * *  
  
Stanton, meanwhile, watched from the shadows. A grin spread slowly across his face. He understood what had taken place that night, and that at least one of the musicians who had played that night was either a potential asset to him, or a potential enemy. But if his or her. . .or their gift could be utilized by the Atrox, it was possible that it wouldn't need Serena's.  
  
But he hadn't been the only one to witness what had happened to Dolores and Cameo. The Goddesses had seen, but they did not understand what had transpired, and so they didn't pose an immediate threat. However, one of his rivals, Ambrose, knew all about the bearers of Cupid's gift.  
  
~The race is on,~ Ambrose's voice brushed darkly across his mind. ~We'll just have to see which of us will be the first to learn which of the musicians has 'The Blessing,' and which of us will exploit his talent.~  
  
~We will indeed.~ And with that, Stanton released his body into the shadows and was gone. 


	6. Strings

At her next orchestra rehearsal, Serena was shocked to encounter two members of Sniper there. Lerato and Faith were talking to the director . . .or rather. . .they were trying to, at least. Faith was gesturing madly while Lerato translated what she was saying to a very confused-looking conductor.  
  
"Sir, I don't speak much sign language," Lerato confessed, "but I think she's saying she wants. . .a cheeseburger. . .No." Faith was shaking her head vigorously. "She. . .doesn't like basketball. . .NO!" She was waving her arms now, trying to make it explicitly clear that she was being mistranslated. "She. . .something about a bird. . ." She scrunched up her face and slapped her forehead.  
  
Serena tried desperately to stifle her laughter as she stepped up to them. They all turned to look at her and fell silent at her approach. "She says that they want to audition." She grinned at their perplexed expressions.  
  
"Serena, you never told me you knew Sign Language."  
  
"You never asked." Of course, she never understood any sign language, but for someone who can read minds, it's easy to pretend.  
  
"Well what instruments do you play?"  
  
"We both play viola," said Lerato, whose face had turned scarlet with embarrassment over how he butchered Faith's translations, "but there's one more coming any minute who plays string bass."  
  
As if on cue, they heard Natalie's voice call from the doorway. "Sorry I'm late. . .um. . .A little help here?!"  
  
Serena, Lerato, and Faith ran to help her pull a trolley through the door loaded with two violas and a bass, which barely fit through the doorway. Once they finally got the bass on the stage, they turned back to the conductor.  
  
"Well," he said, looking at his watch, "It's still early. Why don't you three play for me now?"  
  
"Alright," said Natalie. "We've been rehearsing this trio for weeks. It's called 'Ride the Storm.'" In a few moments, they were rosined up and ready to play. They stood in a row and held their bows in position. With a nod from Natalie, they began to play.  
  
As soon as they began to draw their bows across the string, Serena sank into a seat and found herself carried away by the rich chords to another place. The room she was in simply faded away and she could see herself on the beach of a deserted island. There was no one else there- only herself and the music. She couldn't remember ever having felt so peaceful.  
  
Then the tempo of the song began to quicken as the sky above her began to pour down buckets of rain. The waves began crashing up on the shore, each one bigger than the last, washing debris onshore and splashing over her, making her splutter at the briny taste of the ocean water. Somehow, over the crashing thunder, she could still hear the music intensifying, as though directing the scene around her.  
  
Then the song abruptly slowed. The sun poked out from behind the dark clouds, and the pouring rain became drizzle and then ceased. It was tranquil once again just long enough for Serena to catch her breath. But then, as quickly as it had come, the eye of the storm passed over her and once again she found herself surrounded by torrential downpour, more violent than before. She felt her chest tighten with fear, and her outcry was barely heard over the thundering rain.  
  
Suddenly she was back in the front row of the auditorium in the seat she had sat down in before. Her breath was heavy, and she could feel her pulse in the skin on her face. It was a startlingly odd sensation to suddenly be dry after an ordeal like that too. It took her a few moments to realize that it had all been in her mind, but it had all felt so real. . .  
  
Then she abruptly became aware of four pairs of eyes staring at her in concern. "Serena, are you alright?" asked her conductor.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. . .I guess I just. . .dozed off. . .It's been a long day."  
  
Faith said something in sign language, and Serena read her mind to find out what it was. ~Are you sure? Maybe you should go home and get some sleep.~  
  
"No thanks, Faith. I can still play."  
  
Before anyone could say any more, the other members of the orchestra began arriving, and a shadow slid out of the auditorium, unnoticed. 


	7. What is Blessed of the Arrow?

"You don't give up, do you?" said Anastasia (Or Annie) Richmond, looking up from her book as Stanton materialized in the living room.  
  
He smiled down at her. "Nope. You should know by now that I'm as stubborn as you are."  
  
"I'll take that as a compliment." She returned to her book, and he watched her eyes move rapidly down the page. Of all of the Followers he was placed in charge of, Annie was by far his favorite. Having her around was like having a little sister, and even though she was very small, it never ceased to amaze him how spirited she was. She, like him, had been taken by the Atrox against her will when she was a mere child. She, however, was born a Daughter of the Moon, and fallen goddesses like her were granted immortality upon conversion. She'd been a Follower for 8 years, and she still looked exactly the same as she did that night when Ambrose had forced her into the cold fire. Despite her child-like appearance, she had quickly earned the respect of the cinti, the Atrox's Inner Circle.  
  
"So tell me," said Annie, "Are you any closer to figuring it out?"  
  
He nodded. "I think there're two of them. One wouldn't have been enough to change Dolores and Cameo back."  
  
"Well duh! I could have told you that! But have you figured out which two?"  
  
"I think the girl who sings. . .Natalie. . .she's one."  
  
"What makes you so sure?"  
  
"I'll show you." Stanton narrowed his eyes and projected an image into Annie's mind what he'd seen and heard in the school auditorium that day at orchestra practice. By the time he was finished, he realized that Annie was giving him the "evil eye," as he had named it. It was and accusing glare that always seemed to say "I know there's more to the story than you're telling me."  
  
"What? Why are you giving me that look?"  
  
"Stanton, what were you doing there?"  
  
"I was following Natalie and her friends so I could. . ."  
  
"Right," she interrupted and let out a heavy sigh. "Why do you lie to me, Stanton? I really hate it! I may look like a ten-year-old, but I'm not as stupid as you seem to think," she said sternly, but then her eyes softened. Her expression became pleading, like that of a little sister concerned about her big brother. "Stanton, I know how you feel about Serena. I really do. But you've got to draw the line somewhere! You've got everything to lose, here. You're the Prince of Darkness. She's a goddess. And not just any goddess, but the key! Stanton, I'm telling you this as a friend: I'm worried about you. Please. . .I just don't want. . ."  
  
"I get it, Annie," he snapped. Then he took a deep breath and spoke more gently to her. "Look, I'm sorry to scare you, kid-o, but you don't understand what it's like to be in love. Every time I see her, it's like. . ."  
  
Annie held up her hand to silence him. "Don't tell me what love feels like. I'm better off not knowing. Just promise me you'll be careful. You're dancing with devils here, Stanton. And you don't want them stepping on your feet."  
  
"Annie. . ."  
  
"Promise me! I don't want you getting hurt."  
  
Stanton sighed and ran his hand through his hair, frustrated in knowing that Annie was right. "Fine, mother. I promise I'll be careful."  
  
"That's all I'm asking. So.You never told me what 'Blessed of the Arrow' means. What makes these kids so valuable to the Atrox? And how did they free Dolores and Cameo?"  
  
"Blessed of the Arrow means that. . .Well, it's a little hard to explain. According to the legend, when Cupid's arrows made people fall in love, the children born of that love would be called 'Blessed of the Arrow' and each would be born with a gift of a talent. It could be dancing, painting, music, any sort of art form. We'll use painting as an example. . .Suppose someone who had art as their gift made a painting. . .It would have a sort of magical effect on anyone who looked at it. Whatever emotion or feeling the painting was intended to convey, anyone who looked at it would feel that emotion."  
  
"But I still don't understand how they freed Dolores and Cameo."  
  
"The song was about hope, Annie. So it brought their hope back to them and the Atrox lost its hold on them."  
  
"But then why didn't you and Ambrose get freed too?"  
  
"We're too powerful, Annie. Nothing can change us back. And I know what your thinking. . .Sorry, Squirt, but the same holds true for you."  
  
"What do you mean you know what I'm thinking? I wouldn't dream of trying to break away from the Atrox!"  
  
"Just make sure you don't. That's the best way to get yourself terminated by a regulator. What's that you're reading, anyway?"  
  
She held up the cover so he could see it. "'Immortal Blood' by James M. Thompson. It's about a doctor who's a vampire, and his instinct is to spread his curse, but he tries to fight it and use his intellect to find a cure for himself and others like him." 


	8. Coincidental Meeting

((A/N: For those of you who have been reading this story for a while, You may or may not realize that I have changed Carissa's name to Anastasia. There is a reason for that, so I just thought I would let you all know so you wouldn't get confused))  
  
Tianna, meanwhile, was at MacArthur Park doing tricks on her skateboard off of whatever she could find. She stopped only for a moment to glance up at Catty and Vanessa. Catty was seated on a bench opposite Vanessa, who was still as a statue, posing so that Catty could paint her.  
  
Just then, they all heard footsteps approaching and turned to see Kevin, Jake, and Aimee from "Sniper" approaching.  
  
"Gah!" cried Catty, "Vanessa, don't move!"  
  
"Sorry." Vanessa resumed her previous pose, and Tianna turned to Jake and the others.  
  
"Hi!" she said as her board coached to a stop beside them. "What's up?"  
  
"Not much," said Jake. "Just working on a new song while the others are at orchestra practice."  
  
"Awesome!" Tianna was suddenly excited. "What's it called?"  
  
"We don't know yet." Kevin said, without taking his eyes off of the incomplete score in his hand. "I'm not too good with words. I just right the instrumentation, and Aimee writes the drum part for Faith."  
  
"So who writes the words?"  
  
Before they could answer, Aimee peeked over Catty's shoulder and let out a short squeal. "Oh my God, that's awesome!" She looked back and forth between Vanessa and the painting. "It looks just like her! And the detail and the color. . . She looks just like a goddess!"  
  
Catty and Vanessa couldn't help but grin at each other at that comment.  
  
Jake and Kevin wandered over and glanced at the painting. "Hey, yeah!" said Jake, "That's really good! You gonna be an art major?"  
  
Catty shrugged. "Depends. . ."  
  
"Depends on what?" Kevin asked.  
  
"I just haven't decided yet." Catty and Vanessa glanced at each other somberly for a moment, remembering the choice that all the daughters had to make on their seventeenth birthday. It always scared them to think about it. Catty would probably be an artist if she chose to remain on earth, but she would lose the memory of what she had once been. Or she could chose to leave this life behind and become something else. Supposedly a guardian spirit of some kind, but no one ever really knew for sure. All of the Daughters of the Moon had to make this choice, and they all dreaded it.  
  
Kevin nodded considerately. "I can understand that. I know I'm gonna be a composer, but that in itself isn't gonna get me far. I have to do something else along with it, but I have no idea what."  
  
"Oh, stop being modest, Kevin! With the way you write music, you'd be an instant millionaire as a composer! I heard that trio you write for Faith, Natalie, and Lerato to audition with and it's. . ."  
  
"What are they auditioning for?" asked Tianna, interrupting Aimee.  
  
Jake chimed in. "The school orchestra. Kevin agreed to write something for them to play for the conductor. . .no strings attached! Get it?! No strings attached! I crack myself up!" He laughed hysterically until he realized that he was the only one, and all of the others were just staring at him.  
  
Kevin rolled his eyes and pointed at the ground in front of Jake and said in a commanding voice, "Bad dog, Jake! Sit! Stay!"  
  
"Yes," agreed Aimee, "That was a doozy, Jake. I won't be able to laugh again for weeks!"  
  
Jake hung his head in mock shame. "Aww, come on you guys! Cut me some slack here! I'm trying!"  
  
"That's what scares us," said Aimee, and everyone laughed.  
  
"Well, we'd better get going before Jake causes you three to die laughing," Kevin grinned and gave a little wave. "See you at school, guys!"  
  
Kevin jogged off with Aimee and Jake in tow, but as they were all waving, no one noticed Ambrose's shadow following the three friends as they went on their way. 


	9. Dark Vows

Ambrose considered carefully which of the Followers in his charge would be best suited for the tasks he had in mind. As a member of the Inner Circle and a bearer of the Phoenix Crest, he had quite a selection at his disposal: twenty-two living in his apartment building alone.  
  
For the task of finding out what leads Stanton had already, he chose Eddie, Danielle, and Connor. All were appropriately subtle, sufficient liars should they be discovered, and expendable should their story fail to convince the Prince of Darkness.  
  
To follow the potential gifted ones, he sent Marc, Egan, and Josephine, the most cunning and deceitful of his immortals. They would watch the six of them like hawks until they discovered which were the correct muses, at which point they were to be brought immediately to Ambrose.  
  
He found himself wishing he still had the little goddess, Annie, under his command, but she still served her purpose for him where she was. She had more potential than all the rest of his Followers combined! In fact, she was the reason he'd been awarded the Phoenix Crest. The crossing- over of a goddess was always greatly rewarded. However, she was invita, taken against her will by a Follower of the Atrox, and hated him for what he had made her. Shortly after becoming a Follower, she met his rival, Stanton, who was invitus as well, and chose to serve the Atrox under him rather than her creator. Of course, Ambrose had no problem with this. He knew that, in time, she would become the key to his revenge, especially now that the Atrox had granted her the ability to age eight years, and revert back to her child-like form at will.  
  
He thought back to the first time he ever saw her. It had been mere hours before he had turned to the Atrox, centuries before she had even been born. He knew that someday, probably soon, he would trap her in his worst memory, and that would be how he met her six hundred years before her time.  
  
He had been sixteen years old, clutching the body of his older sister, Alethea, close to him. He did not know who had killed her: only that her wounds were no accident. He felt his rage welling up inside him and burning away at every pleasurable feeling he'd ever known. Until a shadow fell over him, and he turned to see the most beautiful woman he'd ever set eyes upon. She looked about eighteen or nineteen years old, and her light-brown hair captured the moonlight, creating a shine that looked almost like a halo. Her face glistened and twinkled like the starry night sky, and her green dress was of a strange cloth the likes of which he'd never seen: smooth, soft, and brilliant. She looked like a goddess.  
  
At first, she looked frightened and confused, as if she were unsure of where she was. Then her gaze fell upon Ambrose and the woman in his arms. He watched her closely as her large, hazel-brown eyes brimmed with tears, reflecting the light of the crescent moon. ". . .Ambrose. . ." Her voice, even choked by tears, was as delicate and lovely as the rest of her.  
  
"Fair lady, thou knowest my name? Art thou an angel, come to carry Alethea to Heaven?"  
  
"I'm a lot of things, Ambrose," she said, "But I'm no angel."  
  
"Then wherefore hast thou come unto me?"  
  
She gently placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered gently, "It's hard to explain, but I want you to know that I've felt this kind of pain before. I know there's nothing that hurts more than the loss of someone you care about." He saw her body tense and heard her voice quiver with grief and restrained anger. The tenderness and compassion in her eyes told him that she spoke the truth. "But remember the vengeance won't bring her back. It'll only cause you more pain."  
  
He touched her hand and found that her skin was as soft and smooth as that of any two women he ever knew combined. He gazed into her eyes, mesmerized by all the pain looking back at him that mirrored his own. Then, right before his eyes, she vanished like a dream.  
  
"No!" he cried, "Come back! Don't go!"  
  
"Fear not," came a voice from beside him. He jumped and turned to see a tall, handsome man seated beside him grinning. There was something dark, mysterious, even menacing about this man. If the girl had been an angel, this one had to be a devil. "Anastasia Richmond is the fair lady's name. Thou shalt see her again. I canst promise thee as much."  
  
"Who art thou?"  
  
"Someone who canst help thee avenge thy sister's life."  
  
"But Anastasia said. . ."  
  
"Anastasia. . .Dost thou find her pleasing? Serve the Atrox, and thou canst not only have thy vengeance, but in time, if thou dost earn it, thou shalt be permitted to woo Anastasia for thy wife."  
  
And that was that. He became a Follower that night, and five years later, stepped into the cold fire that burned away his mortality, having sworn a solemn vow to avenge Alethea and take the one called Anastasia Richmond as his bride. 


End file.
